Total population | |
---|---|
3 to 5.7 million[1][2][3] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Île-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, Mayotte | |
Religions | |
Predominantly Sunni Islam, minority Shia Islam, Ahmadiyya, Sufism and Ibadism | |
Languages | |
Main: French, Arabic, Amazigh, Turkish |
Islam by country |
---|
Islam portal |
Islam is a minority religion in France that is followed by around 3 million to 5.7 million people in France, which is around 4% to 10% of the nation's population.[5][6][7][8]
In 2023, Muslims made up 10% of the French adult population, according to INSEE.[8]
During the conquest of Iberia and the conquest of Gaul, the Umayyad forces would conquer and annex the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula and modern day southern France. Though they would eventually withdraw in 732 AD. However, Septimania remained under Umayyad dominance until 759. During a later battle, the Al Andalusians established the fortress Fraxinetum. France's Muslim population grew starting in the second half of the 20th century, following immigration from former French colonies and protectorates in Africa and the Middle East.
The majority of Muslims in France belong to the Sunni denomination and are of foreign origins. Sizeable minorities of Shia, Ahmadiyya and non-denominational Muslims also exist. The French overseas region of Mayotte has a majority Muslim population.
According to a survey in which 536 people of Muslim origin participated, 39% of Muslims in France surveyed by the polling group IFOP said they observed Islam's five prayers daily in 2008, a steady rise from 31% in 1994, according to the study published in the Catholic daily La Croix.[9] Mosque attendance for Friday prayers has risen to 23% in 2008, up from 16% in 1994, while Ramadan observance has reached 70% in 2008 compared to 60% in 1994.[10] Alcohol consumption also declined from 39% to 34%.[9]
The Insee and the National Institute for Demographic Studies in france found that the use of the veil for Muslim women has increased by 55 percent in ten years, from 2009 to 2020. And that 26% of Muslim women between the ages of 18 and 49 advocate its use. Observable increase among all geographic origins, for the second and third generation, with higher percentages, however, among women who arrived from Turkey and the Middle East.[11]